Desiccation resistance in insects has long been thought to covary with environmental water availability. Water loss rate and precipitation are positively related at global scales. Generally, flying species have higher rate of water loss than flightless species. The relationship between metabolic rate and water loss rate differs substantially between mesic and xeric species. While these variables covary as a consequence of their independent covariation with body mass in mesic species, this is not the case in xeric species. In the latter, there is a strong relationship between the residuals of the water loss rate-body mass and metabolic rate-body mass relationships, and water loss rate is much reduced.
Keywords: Water loss
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